Machine for stuffing pincushions.



PATENTED SEPT. a, 1907.

B. s. KIDWELL. MACHINE FOR STUFFING rmcusrnons.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.16, 1906.

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mt "cums PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED SEPT. s, 1901.

B.S.KIDWELL.

, MACHINE POR-STUFFING 'PINGUSHIONS.

APPLICATION FILED 00116, 1906.

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NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, b. c.

PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.

E. S. KIDWELL. MACHINE FOR STUFFING PINGUSHIONS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1906.

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rut NORRIS PETERS co., wAsl-uucmu, n. c,

EDWARD S. KIDWELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MACHINE FOR STTIFFING PINOUSHIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed October 16,1906. Serial No. 339,244.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. KrDwnLL, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Stuffing Pincushions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine whereby the casing of the cushion is stuffed in-a mold which not only gives the desired shape of the cushion without respect to the exact shape to the un-stuffed casing, but prevents disruption of the casing during the stuffing operation, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the further description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved machine, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partly sectional front view of the mold in which the pin-cushion is formed, together with certain attachments thereto, the mold being shown as closed, and Fig. 4 is a view of the mold alone, showing the same as open and in a condition to receive the pincushion casing.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 is the frame of the machine which may have any construction adapted for its purpose. Formed as parts of the frame 1, are two forwardly projecting plates a to support the mold 2 in which the casing is to be stuffed.

i To adapt the mold for connection to the supporting plates a, it is provided near its upper end with two lugs b, bored as shown in Fig. 3 to receive the ends of stems c which pass loosely through the plates a. The stems c are each pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank 3 hinged to the outer side of a plate a. The other arm of the bell-crank is connected by a link d to a springheld treadle 4, and the effect of the devices described is to yieldingly retain the ends of the stems within the bored lugs b and so hold the mold 2 in an elevated position in the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

When it is desired to take a mold from the machine after the casing therein has been stuffed as hereinafter described, it is only necessary to press down the treadle when the stems c are withdrawn from the lugs 11 of the mold which is then unsupported and may be removed by hand. The mold 2 is formed of two hinged parts, adapted to be closed and locked by any suitable device. The mold is provided at its upper end with a filling hole f in which a flanged thimble g is placed. The office of this thimble is to support within the mold the upper end of the cushion casing 5 which is in the shape of a bag with an opening at its upper end, and formed of some suitabletextile fabric. The upper end of the said casing is clamped between the flange of the thimble, and the inner surface of the mold, as shown in Fig. 3.

7 is a conical feeding hopper supported by the frame 1 and adapted to discharge its contents through the thimble g and around the stuffing screw 9 into the casing in the mold. The stuffing screw 9 is made a little smaller than the inner diameter of the thimble 9 within which it rotates, in order to avoid friction; and it is secured in the end of a rotary vertical shaft 10 which has a vertical sliding movement in the parts It and f of the frame I. Placed loosely on the upper end of the shaft 10, and seated on a collar j which is preferably fitted with antifriction balls, is a non-rotativc weight 12 whose office is to cause the descent of the rotary shaft 10 together with the stuffing screw 9 secured to its end. The rotation of the stuffing screw 9 is produced by the beveled gear wheel 14 on the shaft 10, and the beveled pinion 15 on the driving shaft 17 carrying the tight and loose pulleys 19 and 20 respectively. I

In order that the vertical shaft 10 may be driven by the beveled gear wheel 14, while it is receiving a vertical movement, it is grooved longitudinally, and the gear wheel feathered, an expedient commonly employed in various machines. The lower end of the shaft 1.0 is reduced in diameter to form a shoulder, and the reduced end turns freely in a crosshead 21 having an arm in which slides on the vertical rod n and serves to prevent the rotation of the cross-head with the shaft 10. A collar 0 adjustable on the shaft 10 is used to limit the downward motion of the shaft to suit the length of the mold which at the time is attached to the machine.

23 is a suitably supported shaft extending cross-wise.

of the machine, carrying a gear wheel 24, a sprocket wheel 25 and a friction band wheel 27 and 30 is a second shaft to which the spur pinion S1 is secured, the same being in mesh with the gear wheel 24, and the idle sprocket wheel 82.

33 is a sprocket chain which at one end is attached to the cross-head 21, and at the other end to the weight 12. The sprocketchain extends partially around the two sprocket wheels as shown in Fig. 2, and when the shaft 30 is rotated by the crank handle 35 in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in that figure, the crosshead 21 is raised carrying with it the stuffing screw 9 the shaft 10 and the weight 12. A pawl 37 the point of which rests on the teeth of the gear wheel 24 prevents a return or downward movement of the parts just referred to.

The band of the friction Wheel 25 is denoted by p and its weighted lever by q.

39, 39 are cords extending from the cross-head 21 over rollers 40 and at their ends provided with weights 41. The said weighted cords operate to prevent the cross-head which is lifted from one side only from biting the guide rod n.

42 is a horizontal belt-shifting bar carrying the arms s, s; and the same is normally held with the arms opposite the loose pulley 20 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, by means of a spring t. The belt-shifting rod has a notch u in its underside into which the end of an angular lever 44 enters when the shifting rod is drawn back a sufficient distance so as to keep the driving belt, not shown, on the driving pulley 19.

45 is a vertical pin on the cross-head 21 adapted as the lower end of the stuffing screw in its upward movement leaves the flanged thimble g, to strike the inner end of the angular lever 44 and cause its outer end to leave the notch u in the shifting rod and allow that device to spring to the right in Fig. 2 and shift the driving belt to the loose pulley 20 and stop the machine.

To the driving shaft 17 is fastened a small pulley 47 which by means of a belt 49 drives an endless apron 50 in a charging box 5]., shown only in Fig. 1. Stufling material, generally sawdust, placed in the charging box 5]. is carried by the endless apron to the conical hopper 7 from which it passes to the cushion casing within the mold, and is compressed by the stuiiing screw in the operation of the machine which will now be described. A cushion casing is first provided with a flanged thimble, and then inserted in an open mold, when the mold is closed and locked. The mold is then placed in the machine and the hopper being supplied with sawdust, the pawl 37 is thrown back so as to disengage its point from the teeth of the spur gear wheel 24. The stufling screw now descends by gravity until its lower end nearly reaches the bottom of the mold when further movement in this direction is prevented by the collar 0 coming into contact with the part is of the frame Z. The sudden dropping of the screw and its connections is prevented by the friction band wheel. The pawl is then restored to its original position with its point resting on the teeth of the spur wheel 24, and the machine is put in motion, and in the rotation of the stufling screw the sawdust is packed tightly around its lower end thereby practically forming a nut which causes the screw to rise and pack the sawdust on a higher plane.

This operation is continued until the whole of the casing is filled with compressed sawdust and the screw emerges from the mold.

It will be understood that the degree of compression of sawdust in the casing is due to the resistance offered by the weight 12 to the lifting of the screw, and this may be increased to any extent by additions to the said weight. But to avoid this, and make any increased compression of the sawdust controllable, it is preferred to use the friction band and its wheel, and to increase the resistance to the upward movement of the screw by pressing the hand on the lever of the friction band. In the ascent of the screw and its connections, the pawl 37 merely clicks on the teeth of the spur wheel 27 and at the time that the lower end of the stufling screw becomes clear of the mold, the pin 45 strikes the angular lever 44 which by shifting the driving belt from the tight to the loose pulley, stops the machine. The mold is now removed and another mold containing a cushion casing, placed in position, when the pawl 37 is again thrown back, the screw lowered, the pawl then brought into play, and the machine set in motion.

I claim as my invention:*

1. In a machine for stufling' pin-cushions, a frame, a mold supported by the frameadapted to inelose an open pin-cushion casing, means to clamp the upper end of the said casing within the mold, combined with means to conduct stutiing material to the open casing in the mold, a screw, devices to rotate the screw within the casing in the mold, and other devices to yieldingly hold down the said screw within the mold, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for stuffing pin-cushions, a frame and a mold supported by the frame adapted to inelose an open pin-cushion casing, means to clamp the upper end of the said casing within the mold, combined with means to con duct stuiiing material to the open casing in the mold, a'

screw, devices to rotate the screw in an unscrewing direction within the casing in the mold, and other devices to yielding-1y hold down the said screw within the mold, substantially as specifiedv 3. In a machine for stuiiing pin-cushions, a frame, and a detachable mold supported by the frame, the said mold having a contracted filling opening, means to cla1np the said casing in filling position in the mold, combined with means to conduct stuiling material to the contracted filling opening, a stufling screw, devices to rotate the screw in an unscrewing direction within the casing in the mold, other devices to effect a resistance to the unscrewing' of the screw from the stuffing material, and means to temporarily retain the screw in an elevated position when the same is unscrewed from the mold, substantially as specified.

EDWARD S. KIDWELL.

Witnesses WM. T. HOWARD,

'lI-Ioims G. HULL. 

